Новости нумизматики и коллекционирования

In December, Central Bank of Luxembourg issued a new €5 coin in "Fauna and Flora in Luxembourg" series which started in 2009. The coin is a bimetallic one (Nordic gold center in silver ring). The Royal Dutch Mint at Utrecht will mint these coins, mintage limited to 3000. (Proof only)

The fifth release in the series "Fauna and Flora" is dedicated to the European honey bee (Apis mellifera).

Country: Luxembourg
Data of issue: December 2013
Face value: 5 Euro
Metal: Bimetal: silver, nordic gold
Weight: 14,93 g
Diameter: 34 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 3,000 pcs

The Treasury of the British Virgin Islands have launched (19th December) a new crown for 2014 whose focus is on the marine life of this British Caribbean territory. One of the more curious sea life animals to be featured is the Seahorse.

Seahorse is the title given to 54 species of marine fish in the genus Hippocampus which comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning ‘horse’ and kampos meaning ‘sea monster’. Seahorses are found in shallow tropical and mild waters throughout the world. Seahorses prefer to live in sheltered areas such as seagrass beds, estuaries and coral reefs.

Seahorses range in size from 1,5 cm to 35,5 cm and are named for their equine appearance. Although they are bony fish they do not have scales as other fish do.  Instead they have a thin skin which is stretched over a series of bony plates which are arranged in rings throughout their body. Each species has a distinct number of rings. Seahorses swim upright and, unusual amongst fish, seahorses have a flexible, well-defined neck. They also have a coronet on the head which is distinct for each individual. The Seahorse feeds on small crustaceans which float in the water or crawl on the bottom of the sea bed.  With their excellent camouflage and a lot of patience, they can ambush prey that float within striking range.

The design on the reverse side features a beautiful seahorse with its tail entwined around some coral. The obverse of the coin features a head and shoulders effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The coin has been produced in Turquoise Titanium and is also available in Cupro Nickel and Proof Sterling Silver. Titanium is exceptionally difficult to strike and each coin is truly unique. As there is a distinct lined effect present on the coins – also unique to Titanium metal, no Titanium coin is exactly the same as another. Struck by the Pobjoy Mint, UK.

For more information on this and other coins issued by the British Virgin Islands, please visit the website of the Pobjoy Mint.

Since 1999 America is issuing each year a colorful coin set with the theme "Four Seasons".

In 2013 the series starts with fragance of spring, summer, autumn and winter on the coins. It's a “new edition”, more attractive and with each year a special on the coins.

Each set has a very low mintage of only 2,000 sets and is packed in a very attractive packaging & Certificate of Authenticity.

Present this beautiful silver coin to your loved one for any occasions or a great business gift!

Country: USA
Data of issue: 2014
Face value: 1 Dollar х 4
Metal: Silver .999 
Weight: 31,10 g х 4
Diameter: 40,60 mm
Quality: BU
Mintage: 2,000 pcs

This beautiful series focuses on and showcases five mythical creatures: Griffin, Unicorn, Phoenix, Werewolf and Dragon. The final release in the Mythical Creatures coin series portrays the formidable dragon.

According to ancient mythology, the dragon resembles a great winged serpent with an armoured hide and was believed to be the most powerful creature on Earth.

The reverse of the coin portrays a coloured dragon guarding piles of treasure including coins, a crown, a chalice and jewels.  A medieval style banner displays a silhouette of a dragon and the monetary denomination, with the inscription ‘dragon’ featured on a scroll.

The Mythical Creatures – Dragon 2014 1oz Silver Proof Coin is issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu and features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the 2014 year-date on its obverse.

Coin Club Australia will make a donation of $1 to UNICEF-Australia for each coin purchased in this series.

Country: Tuvalu
Data of issue: 2014
Face value: 1 Dollar
Metal: Silver .999 
Weight: 31,135 g
Diameter: 40,60 mm
Thickness: 4,00 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 5,000 pcs

The Treasury of the Government of the British Virgin Islands has launched (3^rd January) an innovative coin which marks the 125^th anniversary of the completion of one of Europe’s most well-known landmarks and incorporates the very shape of the monument in the coin itself.

The Eiffel Tower, considered one of the greatest engineering feats in the world was completed one hundred and twenty five years ago in 1889. Originally constructed to feature as a centerpiece for the Exposition Universelle of 1889, the international world’s fair – the fair was also organized to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the French revolution. The tower was designed by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier who worked for Gustave Eiffel’s architectural firm as early as 1884.

Initially, the city of Paris had granted the organizers of the Exposition Universelle a 20 year license to keep the tower standing and the plan was to dismantle it in 1909. As the tower had become so admired and visited, as well as being a valuable communications structure, it was allowed to remain part of the Parisian skyline.

The coin, struck by the Pobjoy Mint, UK – is a faithful replica of the tower, as it is in the shape of the Tower as it was seen before the addition of a 17 foot tall antenna in 1957. The coin also includes intricate detail of the girders – itself, a feat of engineering for the Mint who designed this unusual and unique coin. The reverse of the coin also includes a portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II along with the text "ELIZABETH II" along the arches and "BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 2014" along the length of the tower.

Country: British Virgin Islands
Data of issue: 2014
Face value: $10
Metal: Silver .999 / Nickel-silver
Weight: 31,1 g / 14.6 g
Diameter: 80,6x37,4 mm
Quality: Antique finish / UNC
Mintage: 5000 pcs / unlimited

The coin is available in two versions, a Proof-like Fine Silver strike with an Antique Finish and a Nickel Silver version in UNC quality.

As the excitement of Glasgow 2014 builds The Royal Mint is proud to release the official Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games 50p, struck as lasting reminders of the XX Commonwealth Games – a Games for all Scotland, a Games that has captured the hearts and minds of the nation, and of the world. Now available in Brilliant Uncirculated quality, this 50p is the perfect reminder of an historic British sporting event.

Not since the Olympic Games of London 2012 has The Royal Mint struck a coin with a sporting theme. What better way to pay tribute to this next chapter in Britain’s great sporting decade than with a coin from the official range – the beautiful Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games 50p struck to Brilliant Uncirculated quality?

Your coin carries a vibrant design by new coin designer Alex Loudon, the power of sport embodied in a cyclist and athlete, the home of the Games reflected in his choice of Scottish Saltire and lettering inspired by Glasgow-born architect, artist and designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Country: UK
Data of issue: 2014
Face value: 50 pence
Metal: Cupro-nickel 
Weight: 8 g
Diameter: 27,30 mm
Quality: BU

The Bank of Greece has issued a new coin which marks the 150^th anniversary of the birth of one of the Greek community's most well-remembered poets, Constantine Petrou Kavafis (1863–1933) who is considered instrumental in the revival and recognition of Greek poetry both at home and abroad. His poems are, typically, concise but intimate evocations of real or literary figures that have played roles in Greek culture. Uncertainty about the future, sensual pleasures, the moral character and psychology of individuals and a fatalistic existential nostalgia are some of the defining themes.

Constantine Petrou Kavafis was born in 1863 in Alexandria, Egypt, to Greek parents, and was baptized into the Greek Orthodox Church. His father was a prosperous importer-exporter who had lived in England in earlier years. Having lived in Constantinople, Liverpool and France, Kavafis returned to Alexandria where he lived for the remainder of his life. In his own self- description, Kavafis wrote »I am from Constantinople by descent, but I was born in Alexandria — at a house on Seriph Street. I left very young, and spent much of my childhood in England. Subsequently I visited Greece as an adult, but for a short period of time. I have also lived in France. During my adolescence I lived over two years in Constantinople. It has been many years since I last visited Greece. My last employment was as a clerk at a government office under the Ministry of Public Works of Egypt. I know English, French, and a little Italian»

Besides his subjects, unconventional for the time, his poems also exhibit a skilled and versatile craftsmanship, which it has been noted, is almost completely lost in translation. Kavafis was known to be a perfectionist, obsessively refining every single line of his poetry. His mature style was a free iambicform, free in the sense that verses rarely rhyme and are usually from 10 to 17 syllables. In his poems, the presence of rhyme usually implies irony.

Constantine Kavafis died of cancer of the larynx on the 29^th April 1933, his 70th birthday. Since his death, Kavafis's reputation has grown. He is now considered one of the finest modern Greek poets. His poetry is taught at schools in mainland Greece and Cyprus, and in universities around the world.

The coin, struck at the Greek State Mint and designed by senior Mint artist George Stamatopoulos, — designer of the 2014 COTY award for the most historical coin, and depicts Kavafis in a front-facing portrait positioned slightly towards the left side. The text «150 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΑΠΟ ΤΗ ΓΕΝΝΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΚΑΒΑΦΗ (150^th anniversary of the birth of Constantine Kavafis) is placed just under the primary portrait along the rim of the coin. A facsimile of Kavafis' signature is seen just to the right of his portrait and the distinctive mintmark of the Greek State Mint is placed just above the signature.

The reverse design is inspired by Kavafis' homonymous poem «Voyage to Ithaka» which is itself based on Homer's classic «Odyssey». A sail boat is depicted with Odysseus, the poem's hero setting sail — excerpts from the Kavafis' work seen on the sail itself. The denomination of 5 EURO is superimposed on the sailboat and the text «ΕΛΛΙΝΙΚΗ ΔΗΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΑ» (Hellenic Republic) is seen along the upper half and above the sail. The Greek crest is placed just to the right of the sail.

Country: Greece
Data of issue: 2013
Face value: 5 Euro
Metal: Cupro-nickel 
Weight: 18,8 g
Diameter: 30,5 mm
Quality: UNC
Mintage: 10,000 pcs

The Central Bank of Armenia issued a silver commemorative coin dedicated to the 150th anniversary of birth of Stepan Aghajanian on January 14th 2013.

Stepan Meliqset Aghajanian (1863–1940) is a prominent Armenian painter, a people’s artist of Armenian SSR. He got artistic education in France. In 1886–1890 he studied in Marseille Artistic Studio, Paris Julian Academy, in B. Constant and J. P. Laurence Studio. Even in academic works he demonstrated a unique artistic ability to disclose the model’s inner world in true patterns.In the period 1904–1921 he lived and worked in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. He gave painter lessons in schools of general education, the State Artistic Studio. Works created in this period of time include «Painter’s Niece”, «Marusya” (1907), «Self-Portrait” (1909), «Thoughts” (1914). Aghajanian also wrote landscapes and child portraits, an uncommon direction in Armenian fine arts. In 1921 Aghajanian moved to Yerevan. He gave his works more light, making them even more lucent, juicy and rich in reflections. Best works include «Self-Portrait”, «Painter’s Wife”, «Vasil” (1926), «Writer Emin Ter-Grigoryan” (1927), «Pioneer” (1928), «Red Army Man” (1930), «Singer Baronkina” (1935).

The obverse of the coin dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Stepan Aghajanian has a fragment from «The daughter of the artist’s sister” picture. The face value of 100 drams is engraved at the bottom of the obverse side, «HAYASTANI HANRAPETUTYUN” (The Republic of Armenia) lettering is designed on the top and bottom of the coin.

The reverse side portrays the artist as well as palette and brushes . «STEPAN AGHAJANYAN” in Armenian letters and «STEPAN AGHAJANIAN” in English letters are engraved at the top and bottom of the coin.

The coin issued with colored inks. Designed by Vardan Vardanyan. Minted in the Royal Dutch Mint.

Data of issue: 2013
Face value: 100 Dram
Metal: Silver .925 
Weight: 28,28 g
Size: 28х40 mm
Quality: Brilliant uncirculated
Mintage: 500 pcs

The Board of the Bank of Lithuania approved the results of the competition for the graphic design of the 50 litas collectors (commemorative) silver coin dedicated to the 300th birth anniversary of Kristijonas Donelaitis.

The first place went to Tadas Žebrauskas for the created graphic designs of the obverse and reverse of the coin. The edge of the coin is to bear the inscription Jau saulelė vėl atkopdama budino  svietą (The Sun, rising again, woke up the world). 

The coin is to be put into circulation in the first quarter of 2014. Designed by T. Žebrauskas and G. Paulauskis.

Country: Lithuania
Data of issue: 2014
Face value: 50 litas
Metal: Silver .925 
Weight: 28,28 g
Diameter: 38,61 mm
Quality: Proof
Mintage: 3000 pcs

There is the eleventh issue in a series with a quick sell-out history is the 2014 $20 Canada Goose Silver Coin. This release is offered as the Royal Canadian Mint’s first 2014-dated $20 silver coin that is sold at face value.

The latest design features an elegant depiction of the Canada Goose in flight. There are no background design elements making it appear as though the goose is soaring through clear skies. The included inscriptions read «20 Dollars”, «Fine Silver Argent Pur 9999″, «2014″, and «Canada”. The reverse design is by Trevor Tennant.

The obverse of the coin features the Susanna Blunt effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Surrounding inscriptions read «Elizabeth II” and «D G Regina”.

Each coin is struck in 99.99% pure silver with a weight of 7.96 grams. This represents silver content of 0.256 troy ounces. The coins have a diameter of 27 mm and a serrated edge. The mintage is indicated at 225,000 pieces. There is an ordering limit of 3 coins per household.

Introducing all of the newest $20 for $20 coins! 4 brand new designs for 2014…

  •   Canada Goose – January 2014
  •   Bobcat – March 2014
  •   Summertime – May 2014
  •   Holiday Candles – October 2014